In the world of psychotherapy, an unconventional yet harmonious ally has emerged in the form of music therapy.
Beyond being a delightful, stress-reducing experience, music therapy is a unique method of tapping into human emotions, promoting self-discovery, and fostering healing.
The benefits of music therapy transcend mere mental stimulation, as this technique has showcased improvements in heart function, motor skills, brain stimulation, and so much more.
Read on as we explore the healing potential of music therapy, who it can benefit, and what to expect in a session.
What is Music Therapy?
Music therapy uses a range of modalities in musical creations to help individuals achieve their therapeutic goals. Whether you want to improve social skills, boost emotional regulation, enhance motor control and coordination, or promote personal growth, music therapy is an excellent intervention for this.
This clinical-based practice involves a qualified therapist using a variety of musical elements in the form of rhythm, melody, harmony, and lyrics to facilitate self-expression and support individuals in their pursuit to achieve therapeutic outcomes in a harmonious fashion.
The effects of music therapy not only profoundly improve our physical and mental well-being, but they’re also incredibly versatile.
For adolescents grappling with self-esteem issues, music therapy serves as a channel for empowerment, increasing confidence, self-expression, and social connection. Among individuals suffering from Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, music therapy boosts cognitive functioning and evokes emotions, improving mood, and fostering connection and comfort.
Music therapy may also be useful for individuals in nursing homes, correctional facilities, medical settings, and educational facilities.
Benefits of Music Therapy
Many of us are familiar with the fuzzy feeling that envelopes our senses when we hear our favorite song on the radio.
However, did you know that beyond the heartwarming nostalgia, music in the form of therapy holds a remarkable power to heal and transform our well-being?
According to Amy Mikulski, a licensed clinical social worker with Grow Therapy, “Anyone who has been through a tough break-up can likely attest to the power of music and our mental health. Music increases blood flow to the emotion-focused portion of our brains and has been shown under a PET scan to light up all portions of our brain at the same time. Perhaps even more powerfully, music can create and deepen connection with ourselves and others.”
The mental health benefits of music therapy include:
- Mood Disorders: Music therapy helps address mood disorders, enhancing tolerance and resilience to distress, allowing us to manage difficult emotions such as anger, shame, and grief, and alleviating anxiety or depressive symptoms as well as adding meaning to our experiences.
- Trauma: Music therapy creates the opportunity for individuals recovering from trauma, such as post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), to safely connect to others, improve emotional regulation skills, and face avoidance trauma reminders with greater comfort and ease.
- Cognitive Skills: The rhythmic nature of music captured in melody, tempo, and lyrics can engage different parts of the brain to help improve attention, focus, memory, and problem-solving skills.
- Communication and Social Skills: As music becomes the avenue to express thoughts and feelings, music therapy provides individuals with the opportunity to connect, collaborate, and cooperate in a group setting.
The physical health benefits of music therapy include:
- Motor Skills: Engaging in rhythmic activities such as drumming or dancing can improve coordination, balance, timing, and motor skills.
- Self-Esteem: Music allows for a non-judgmental space to express ourselves authentically, allowing us to feel accepted, fuelling our sense of achievement, and contributing to our overall self-worth.
- Blood Pressure Regulation: Certain forms of music can be especially relaxing, helping to lower heart rate and regulate blood pressure.
- Immune Response: The use of music helps lower levels of stress which can tremendously improve immune functioning.
Condition-specific benefits of music therapy services include:
- Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): Individuals with autism may benefit from music therapy by addressing various social needs, such as increasing connection, elevating communication skills, practicing to identify emotions, and minimizing stress in social situations.
- Learning Disabilities: Music therapy improves focus and attention, facilitates speech and language development, and encourages positive social interactions.
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): Those experiencing ADHD can benefit from music therapy by helping increase focus, engagement, emotional processing, and motivation when experiencing task paralysis.
- Brain Injuries: This form of treatment is also beneficial for individuals suffering from brain injuries, such as traumatic brain injury (TBI), by helping develop muscular control and fine motor coordination, as well as improving sensory responsiveness.
The extensive benefits of music therapy highlight its versatility in promoting well-being across all different populations, transcending age, abilities, and conditions. The inclusive nature of music therapy offers a supportive environment for individuals with diverse backgrounds and needs to foster healing and resilience.
Music Therapy Techniques
Many music therapy techniques can be utilized to help us cope, heal, and meet our therapy-based goals, and beyond!
Mikulski says, “Listening to music with the intention of connecting to our emotions, playing instruments or singing alone or in a group, walking or dancing to music, participating in drumming and drumming circles, and learning music-assisted stress-reduction techniques such as deep breathing are just a few techniques that can improve our quality-of-life.”
Some of the most popular types or ‘genres’ of music used in therapy include:
- Classical Music: Calming and soothing creations by classical composers such as Mozart or Bach to promote relaxation and minimize stress.
- Contemporary Music: Popular hits from different genres to help evoke emotion and memories.
- Instrumental Music: Non-verbal modalities of music, such as rhythmic drumming or percussions enhance emotional expression, promote relaxation, and enhance motor skills.
- Nature or Ambient Music: Similar to instrumental, this form of music involves calming tones such as flowing water, birds chirping, or waves crashing to induce relaxation and promote mindfulness.
Music therapy may also be further classified into passive and activity modalities.
Passive Music Therapy
In passive music therapy, individuals are the receivers of the musical experiences orchestrated by a therapist. During a session, individuals will listen and observe the music, creating a sense of self-awareness for how it makes them feel.
Music listening is a common form of passive music therapy, where a therapist will use the listening genres listed above to foster relaxation, minimize symptoms of anxiety, or elicit emotional responses.
Guided Imagery is another tremendous musically-driven strategy that involves the mental creation of images that facilitate relaxation and prompt emotional responses. Clients will be instructed to imagine these calming scenes while music plays in the background to enhance the experience and reduce the stress surrounding the circumstance.
For someone dealing with trauma, guided imagery within music therapy can serve as a transformative tool. By visualizing calming scenes prompted by the therapist’s guidance and coupled with music, individuals can potentially find solace, ease emotional tension, relax tight muscles, and gradually build resilience while addressing trauma-related stressors.
Music-assisted relaxation is another version of passive music therapy where music is integrated into relaxation strategies, such as deep breathing, meditation, or progressive muscle relaxation, to reduce stress and promote inner calmness.
Active Music Therapy
During an active music therapy session, individuals are encouraged to participate in the creation of music through various means.
Songwriting is a popular musical strategy that encourages the expression of the mind through storytelling. Clients may choose to compose the lyrics to reflect their thoughts or experiences. With a therapist’s guidance, these lyrics can be used to help process emotions, encourage communication, and explore thought processes in a creative setting.
Improvised music involves the spontaneous creation of music through improvisation with musical instruments or voices to allow for creative expression and emotional exploration.
Playing instruments is an excellent form of active music therapy that allows individuals to learn to play melodies with real instruments, promoting coordination, emotional release, and motor pattern learning.
Movement to music is a full-body exploration of music that incorporates rhythmic movements or dancing as a means of self-expression and release of pent-up emotions.
Role of Music Therapists
The music therapist is sort of like the conductor of an orchestra. Just as a conductor skillfully directs the expressive rhythms and melodies of each musician, the music therapist skillfully guides individuals through their therapeutic journey.
In the United States, the certification board for music therapists requires individuals to earn a bachelor’s degree or higher in music therapy (or another related field). They must complete a required number of supervised clinical hours (which can vary by state) and pass a national board exam. This will lead to earning their music therapist-board certified (MT-BC) credential.
According to the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA), board-certified music therapists maintain elevated standards in public service and adhere rigorously to ethical principles in their conduct.
Like most other healthcare professionals, music therapists are committed to improving the quality of life and well-being of their patients or clients through a specialized form of therapy. Their responsibilities include:
- Assessing individual client needs.
- Building a collaborative, warm, and empathetic therapeutic relationship.
- Designing a personalized treatment plan for people of all ages.
- Implementing diverse music-based techniques.
- Monitoring progress and adapting interventions to facilitate healing and improve overall well-being.
The Bottom Line
Music therapy stands as a transformative and versatile healing modality, extending beyond conventional therapy practices. This approach fosters deep and meaningful emotional exploration to boost mental and physical well-being and overall quality of life.
For those interested in exploring the therapeutic potential of music, start by finding a certified music therapist.
